In The Night Air
by TSA-Hot-Lemons
Summary: Bella needs a break from reality. One night, one finds her.  Rated M for lemons


**TSA Hot Lemon Contest**

**In the night air**

**Summary: Bella needs a break from reality. One night, one finds her.  
Rated M for lemons**

**Twilight and all related characters and devices belong to Stephenie Meyer.  
The other stuff is mine. Got it?**

It had been another shitty day, running fast at the heels of more shitty days to come. Work was a bitch and not getting any better. Waitressing was not her dream job by any means, but she didn't have the skills to do much else and there was not much work around. Given how the boss ran the staff into the ground, refusing to provide proper equipment, and turning a blind eye to the manager's complete ineptitude, it seemed likely that this particular establishment might not last much longer anyway.

She let herself into her flat and deflated even more. Washing up needed to be done, the floor was dusty and there was a pile of bank statements and other detritus on the sofa. The little flat had seemed to be so full of promise when she found it - cosy and cunning, tucked up on the top floor near the sea, with its own tiny flight of stairs and pigeons chattering happily outside the bedroom window. It had appeared the perfect antidote to the tedium of sharing her life with her dull, paranoid ex, who had sucked the happiness out of her, day by day, minute by minute. Until the day when he had gone too far in his paranoia and she had packed her things and run to the house that Alice and Rosalie shared, but that had ended up being the scene of too many lonely moments and had a melancholy scent in its air.

She did have friends, but the cohort she had spent her days and nights with before Mike had slunk in and fucked up her life had mostly moved on. His paranoid imaginings had made it hard to keep up with people, and the spaces hadn't really been filled. Alice had shared a flat with Mike back when he was just a dope smoking student and had been there when it started to get weird - so although she wasn't a friend exactly, she had understood when Bella had turned up at her door, needing a bit of breathing space. She had lent her the money for the deposit on the flat, and slipped back into the background of Bella's life. Bella wasn't an oddball, she wasn't a loner, or a bore, but she found herself alone almost every evening after work, overdoing the red wine while she chatted to strangers online. It was no kind of life and not what she ever expected, but how to make a change was leaving her stumped. She needed to get a proper job, but a degree in philosophy and five years of serving coffees didn't leave much in the way of opportunities, and her pay packet only covered the necessities with no room for saving.

This evening was not much different. After a quick shower to wash off the smell of boredom and coffee, she sat on the sofa with a plate of pasta and the usual glass of wine. The pasta was as dull as ever and she dropped it in the bin in frustration. She opened the window and stuck her head out - the huge 1930s building opposite held hundreds of people going about their lives and it was a pastime of hers to roam her eyes across the windows, looking for something, anything interesting to divert her. There was a photographer in one flat - she often hoped he would set up something pervy or bizarre to capture, but she suspected he was probably just some kind of professional eBay seller. _Sigh._

She had once glimpsed a couple screwing, but they had shut the curtains before the action hotted up too much, and she had felt a bit wrong, spying there all on her own. She wasn't inexperienced with men, but it had been a long while since she had had anything like good sex, and she had pretty much shut down that side of her.

She rarely touched herself under the sheets any more; it seemed tragic somehow... She knew she needed some real human contact but wasn't sure how to go about it. Internet dating seemed something that she wasn't ready for at 24 years old, and she just didn't get out enough to meet anyone appealing. Plenty of men gave her the eye at work, but the whole subservient vibe seemed to turn them on, which turned her right off. She didn't want her first contact with a potential shag buddy to be her cleaning up after him.

She stuck her head out further towards the 'oblique sea view' and felt the sea air chill her wet hair. The smell was clean and fresh, and the breeze was warm in her face. The evening had been long and the sun was starting to disappear behind the bandstand, leaving blazing trails in the sea. What a fucking waste. Alone in this exciting city, so close to the smells and sensations of freedom, and she was living the same dull day over and over and missing it. She felt like crying. Boredom and frustration smacked her in the face and she pulled her head in quickly.

_Wait. _

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a figure, half out of a window in a flat opposite, looking to the sea as she had been. He was higher than her flat and closer to the sea, so he would not spot her as she leaned out once more. He had a broad back and slim waist, reddish hair and a cigarette in his hand. She looked for a few minutes, appreciating the way his shoulder blades jutted through his white t shirt and the way the dying sunshine lit up the golden hairs on his arms. He flicked the butt down to the street and ducked back inside.

Bella whipped her head round to gaze nonchalantly at the roadworks down below as if they had been captivating her interest and stared fiercely, not wanting him to catch her looking. She couldn't explain her timidity, once she would have caught his eye with confidence but she had been crumbled somehow, had forgotten how to be confident and had shrunk into herself. She pulled her head in again, trying hard not to glance up, but couldn't help herself.

She froze for a second. He was looking right at her. His expression was unreadable - he wasn't smiling, or frowning, or looking interested, but his eyes were definitely on her. She caught his eye for a second and her heart started beating too fast, uncomfortably fast, the adrenaline making her feel sick. She sat right down with her back to the window and breathed in and out several times, calming her heartbeat. She was angry with herself for being so pathetic. Nothing had happened, but she had reacted as if this stranger had reached into her flat and touched her somehow_. Stupid, cowardly girl._ She sighed and stood up, intending to pull down the blind and stick on the TV. She couldn't avoid looking out of the window and glanced up. She was surprisingly disappointed to see that he had gone. _Damn._

The TV was on but she wasn't watching it. Instead she was facing the window and looking out of a crack in the blinds. The sun had gone down completely now, and the breeze coming through the still open window was slightly cooler. The air smelt so ripe and full, the salt and summer scents were strong and seductive and hard to ignore. Impulsively, Bella stood and picked up a jacket, her iPod and her keys, and ran down the stairs before she could change her mind. She used to do that, back when life had seemed more promising - music blasting in her ears, walking, walking around the city for hours, taking in the sights and breathing deeply of freedom and possibility. She wasn't an idiot and had no intention of traipsing the streets at night but the beach was right there - the sea swishing gently and the open sky inviting. She ran out of the door and crossed the street quickly, putting the buds in her ears as she went. As the loud rock music started to swell her heart, she breathed deeply in the night air.

The beach was almost empty. She went right down to the surf and sat down. The music and the night and the sea gave her a sense of unreality, which was just what she needed. Her mind calmed and her anxiety, a constant presence in her life, eased. She sat and sat and was soothed.

A sudden motion in the corner of her eye made her turn her head sharply, fear again spiking her with adrenaline.

_Fuck. _

The man from the flat was standing at the top of the beach, with his hands in his pockets, watching her.

_What the fuck?_ It seemed to Bella for a mad moment that she had conjured him from the air with her mind. Reality smashed into her brain with a crunch and her fear intensified. What was he doing? What did he want? She was aware of being alone on a dark beach with no phone and no way past him. She watched him for a minute and was struck by his expression - no longer blank, he looked - hungry. He had put on a dark hoodie over his t shirt and had his hands in the pockets, and was standing very still with this look of hunger on his face.

Bella had the sense that he was waiting for her to do something. She sat still for another few heartbeats, watching him watch her, waiting to see if he would do something, but he matched her stillness with his own. A spike of frustration hit her. Why wasn't he being normal? A normal man would approach her, or walk on, or something. He was just - staring. His face had softened slightly with her watching him, and he seemed to be raising one eyebrow. It could have looked sarcastic, but it just looked like a question.

Bella froze even further, understanding creeping into her mind - he wanted to approach her, he wanted something from her, but what did _she_ want? It was undeniable that she was attracted to him, she had acknowledged that to herself when she had spotted him smoking out of her window, but he was a complete stranger. A spike of sexual energy rose in her, which took her completely by surprise, and made her pause in her worry. Wasn't this exciting?

It felt like it could be dangerous but probably wasn't, and if she was honest, she liked those odds. It seemed a little strange that he had appeared on the beach where she was, but there was no way he could have seen her and followed her, it had to be coincidence, and the way he was looking at her was not like a crazy rapist - just like a guy who liked what he saw, and she liked being looked at that way. It had been such a long time since she had felt anything more than vague passing interest in a man, this seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.

Gathering her courage, she looked him right in the face, and smiled a little. His face cracked wide with a grin that was in turn sexy and sweet. _Fuck._ The heat that hit her stomach was like a punch and her mouth went dry, her hands sweated and her heart started to beat crazily. He pulled his body off the railings and started to walk down to her, his eyes on her the whole time, hands still in his pockets. Fucking hell, he was stunning close up, hair more bronze than red in the moonlight, his cheekbones sharp, his eyes large and expressive, and his body tall and slim with broad shoulders. His jeans hung from him in the right places and as he came closer she could smell his clean, male smell.

He sat down next to her but leaving a gap of a foot or so between them. As his lips formed the word 'hi', she realised her iPod was still screaming in her ears. She pulled the earbuds out and fumbled with the thing to turn it off while he waited for her response. She looked up at his mouth and couldn't speak. His lips were smooth and looked soft and were curled up in a happy smile. She started to say 'hi' and had to clear her throat. He grinned and pulled a flask out of his pocket and offered it to her. She took it and sniffed, which prompted him to laugh out loud. It smelled like bourbon, which she hated, but she took a swig anyway, for courage and lubrication. 'Hi'. _Finally. _She smiled back at him and felt herself relax.

He opened his mouth as if to say something else, but a shadow crossed his face, and he said nothing. She waited. She wasn't going to start the small talk, he had approached her - it was up to him to make chit chat if that was what he wanted. Her mind had gone blank in any case, she had literally nothing to say. It wasn't like he would be interested in Harry Potter fanfic which was her latest interest, and she did fuck all else that would provide interesting conversation fodder to this beautiful man.

So she waited.

He looked at her and laughed again, but it was not unkind, it seemed to be a laugh of happiness at being there, being near her, and the beautiful night. He offered her the flask again and she drank some more. Before she had fully taken the flask away from her lips his hand was there, one finger stroking her bottom lip. Bella jumped and flashed her eyes to his face. The laugh was gone, and the hungry look had replaced it again. She kept her eyes on his while he stroked her lip.

She managed to screw the cap on the flask and dropped it to the side of her without taking her eyes off his, and as soon as it hit the stones he leaned into her and touched her lips with his. She inhaled sharply, but didn't break the contact. It was so unexpected and so sweet and yet sharp with desire, and she had a fleeting moment of doubt until she made one last conscious decision to follow this where it led. She pushed into him further and he surged up onto his knees in front of her, gripping the back of her neck with one hand and her shoulder with the other.

His tongue was hot and tasted sweet, his breath in her mouth was delicious, his hands were urgent. She rose up to meet him and pushed back against his kiss as his hand grabbed at her hair and pulled her in further. The heat coming from him warmed her from the inside out, her heart was racing and she felt loose and slack between her legs. She didn't know if she could keep the kneeling up much longer and she sagged against him. He moved one arm to her waist, easing her back onto the stones, kissing her all the while.

Bella sank back and allowed him to cover her body with his. The night breeze swept over them but she felt warmed by him, as he cradled her head from the sharp stones. He finally took his mouth from hers and looked into her eyes for a moment, with one eyebrow raised again. She smiled, an unconscious, wide smile of lust and happiness, and he matched it with his own before moving his head to her collarbone and licking the curve from the outside of her shoulder to the point where her breasts started to swell. Her breath caught and her heart pounded with the sensation, and she was lost. She wondered for a second who this man was and where he had come from, and just sent a tiny prayer of thanks to the gods of sex who had sent her this gift.

His mouth moved to the opening at the top of the zip of her jacket and his hand snaked upwards to pull the zip down. She gripped his arms on his biceps and enjoyed the feel of his muscles hard with exertion. He opened her jacket and stopped to look at her in the vest she was wearing underneath. She felt a moment of embarrassment, as she had been dressed for bed in a vest and tracksuit bottoms before she had decided to go out, and it was not the lacy cami type. When his fingers trailed over the tops of her breasts it made her forget what she was wearing, and it was his turn to catch his breath as his fingers stroked, then moved down over her nipple, rubbing harder through the cotton. She moved her face up to his and he caught her in another heated kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth and creating licks of heat down in her belly.

She was burning, sweating, totally wet for him. She wondered whether she wanted to stretch the experience as long as possible, or whether she wanted to feel him in her immediately even more. He made the decision for her by pushing one hand quickly down the front of her tracksuit bottoms, where he found, as she swiftly remembered with a blush, no underwear. He let out a small groan as his fingers found how smooth she was underneath, and she gave silent thanks that she had spent time on personal grooming in the shower. She opened her legs wider and he slid his finger inside, while she continued to kiss him and ran her hands up under his hoodie to stroke his hard chest. She pulled away and put her face close into his neck and breathed in, while focussing on the feelings that were coming from his clever fingers. His scent was clean and purely sexual and her mouth watered.

His fingers moved gently and firmly over and in and out of her and she felt an orgasm starting to build. Small pants and moans were coming from her mouth and she could not stop them, and he was right with her, groaning into her ear. Suddenly he paused and slowed his movements, and moved his head to look in her eyes. That questioning eyebrow went up again, and she took a moment to work out what he was asking. She was so turned on that she nodded immediately and he captured her lips with a rush, whilst pulling her trousers down over her hips. He yanked off his hoodie and took a moment to lift her hips and place it under, taking a shuddering breath as he caught sight of her naked beneath him. He reached in his jeans pocket and pulled out a condom, with a smile and a shrug, before unzipping his fly, ripping the foil and slipping it on quickly.

She shifted her hips slightly to line herself up with him and he cradled her gently under her shoulders and hips. She opened herself to him and felt his hard erection push against her. He gave a sigh and pushed inside slowly, a low moan leaving his lips. He pushed further and she gasped at the size and heat as he filled her.

He started to move, his eyes on hers, his hair falling in his green eyes as he focussed on her body and moving inside her. His dick was hard and long and she was already so close and it didn't take long before she felt her orgasm riding over her. She shuddered and moaned with the sensations he was giving her, and this seemed to send him to the edge as he started to pound hard and urgently into her, until he gave a shout of release and fell down to the side of her, breathing hard.

She lay still and quiet, feeling the waves cover her in sensation. He leaned over and kissed her lips gently, and pulled her clothes back over her. She lay still a while longer, reality starting to roll back into her mind and a slight sensation of awkwardness starting to descend. She had said nothing more to this man than a strangled 'hi' and she didn't even know his name. He put his hand to her face and gently turned it to his. His expression calmed her, he looked so sweet, satisfied and open. He raised himself up on his elbows and rose quickly to his feet, holding his hand out to her to help her up. She took his hand and as she got to her feet he pulled her into his body and held her tight for a moment, before saying, 'I'm Edward. I'd love to see you again'.


End file.
